


Drunken mistakes and falling back in love

by jamesm97



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Break Up, Developing Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Getting Back Together, Kissing in the Rain, M/M, Multi, Pre-Threesome, Shut Up Kiss, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-02-28 17:03:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13275939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamesm97/pseuds/jamesm97
Summary: Things had started to finally quiet down in the village once the Whites had died in a car crash, Robert got full custody of the baby being the only surviving relative, he's been scared to go out deciding to stay inside, not leaving the house for five months, until Vic shows him how unhealthy it is not just for himself but his son as well.Having a drunken threesome with his Ex-husband and that ex-husbands boyfriend was not what he had in mind when he finally left the house, he's got to handle the fact that he's just slept with his husband and deal with the fact that he's falling back in love with him as well.There's only one problem, Aaron's still with Alex, hopefully not for long.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think

Things had started to finally quiet down in the village once the Whites had died in a car crash the entire fortune left to the only surviving White, Sebastian.

Lawrence ironically before his death had forgotten to change his will so half of the home farm properties went to Robert as well, it came as a surprise to Robert he didn’t know he was in the old man’s will didn’t know what he’d fooled him into thinking meant that much to him that he’d leave him half a house.

Robert was still living at Vic’s in August, Sebastian living with him, they owned Home Farm but he was using his own money to get that completely stripped it was unrecognisable empty he didn’t want it to look like the old poisonous place it used to be wanting it to not hold any trace of the White’s not a single inch.

“You going out into the world anytime soon?” Vic asks opening the curtains Seb was teething but he was being surprisingly good sitting on Robert’s chest banging some toy keys against his dad.

“Sebastian doesn’t like the sun” Robert lies.

“You mean you don’t like people cooing over him or touching him” Vic corrects.

“They just do my head in” Robert snorts letting out a small huff of pain when Seb hits him in the forehead with the toy keys a little too hard.

“Your son turns 10 months old today you need to go out and celebrate” She orders him.

“Is it the 9th of August today?” Robert questions grabbing his phone from the floor with one hand the other making sure Seb doesn’t fall, he checks the date and it is in fact the 9th it’s 10 months to the day since his son was born, ten months since he’d decided to stop everyone hating him, it’s not really worked out that way though.

“Robert you’ve not left the house for more than twenty minutes in two months, the Whites are all dead and buried you and Seb own it all now why are you sat in here when you’ve got a business to run? Two businesses?” She asks worry filling her tone.

“I’ve hired a business manager to manage the haulage firm and the Home Farm business is on hold till the house is remodelled” Robert tries to go for reassuring but he knows she’s right he’s not wanted to leave the house “I know the Whites are dead I just want to stay home with my son is that so bad?” He questions frowning.

“No but he needs to be out in the fresh air it’s almost the end of summer for crying out loud he needs to be outside exposed to everything in the world so his immune system can be built and you might have the home farm business on hold but you’re still the land lord to a few properties around the village what’s going on with all them?” She asks coming to sit on the couch moving his legs to sit down.

“They all transfer the rent electronically at the end of the month and I pay my landlords insurance monthly as well if they have any problems with the houses they’ve got my number and if they need anything like plumbers or electricians then I’ll hire one and send them out not that I’ve had any problems with my tenants so far what’s it got to do with you anyway?” Robert sighs sitting up grabbing Seb and disrupting the ten-month olds playing.

“Nothing just Aaron was asking after ya today said he hadn’t seen you in five months which isn’t a surprise since you’ve not actually left the house in that long” Vic tells him with a glare.

“Why was he asking about me?” Robert frowned, they were friendly now or they had been when Robert had gotten Seb full time but Robert’s sort of stayed in the house for a while so he’s not seen what’s going on “How’s he doing anyway?” Robert presses.

“Oh, he’s fine although he’s pissed about Alex being on Nights all the time” She tells him.

“The life of a doctor they good?” Robert’s surprise at the lack of ill will he feels when she mentions Alex, since they’d let each other go Robert had started to be alright with Aaron’s new Fella as well, they were becoming actual friends all three of them before he’d started to stay in with Seb.

“Yeah, they’re fine, Anyway Diane said if you didn’t leave the house and take her grandson to see her instead of her having to come here all the time she’s going to ring a counsellor or something”

“Fine get him dressed and I’ll take you both for lunch okay?” Robert questions looking at his phone it’s 1 so lunch sounds good he’s sick of cooking for himself all the time he could do with going out because he actually can go out he just preferred staying in with his baby.

“Yes, See I told you last night daddy wouldn’t let your ten-month day go without taking you out” Vic laughs talking to the baby every step of the way out the room as she goes to get her nephew dressed, Robert just rolls his eyes and goes to throw a shirt on that wasn’t covered in sticky baby drool.

Vic’s got him washed and clean by the time he’s put on a shirt which is pretty good considering Robert himself usually needs to get a shower after cleaning the baby, Seb’s dressed in a shirt that’s similar to the one Robert chose and little shorts.

“I think I’m starting to get what Aaron meant about my hideous shirts now” Robert tells his sister “If my shirts look half as hideous as the one I bought Sabastian then I think I need to reconsider my floral print collection” He laughs.

“You wouldn’t be Robert without the floral print” Vic tells him rushing past to put Seb in his pram pinch Robert’s cheek on the way.

“I don’t know why you made a big fuss about me leaving the house with him were just going from one building to another he’s going to be in the street for two minutes max while we walk over there” Robert points out as soon as they open the door, the fresh air is nice almost intoxicating as he steps outside.

He takes over pushing the pram from Vic to let her lock up he walks down the garden path and he feels a little light headed from all the fresh air maybe he has been a hermit these last months he was just scared of losing Seb again even though he knows he’s the only person he has now.

“We could take him the park as well” Vic offers running to catch him up her arm linking his as they walk together to the pub.

“The park doesn’t have very many ten-month-old safe equipment its more for toddlers” Robert points out.

“Fine then we can roll around on the grass, look at his face it’s as if he’s never seen the sky he looks so amazed” Vic practically coo’s Seb takes no notice too busy staring at the clear blue sky in awe.

“I thought you’d moved to Spain or something” Aaron’s voice calls from next to them, Robert turns to look and see’s Aaron and Alex walking towards the pub as well.

“No not moved just not really got a life of my own thanks to this one” Robert smiles to both of them nodding down to Seb.

“Let’s have a look at him” Aaron says walking to catch them up and peering into the pram “Shame, isn’t it?” Aaron says as soon as he looks at Seb.

“What is?” Robert frowns immediately going defensive.

“That he looks the spitting image of you, not going to have any luck with the ladies or the men is he” Aaron smirks and Robert rolls his eyes at the lame joke but his breath releases he’s relieved Aaron can talk to him like this that he even seems to be okay with Seb.

“What are you two up too?” Robert questions smiling to Alex.

“Just going for some lunch I’m starving only got back from a night shift an hour ago” Alex tells him looking tired.

“Great so are we” Vic tells the two men.

“Join us if you’d like, you don’t have too if you’s want to be alone like” Robert reassures.

“That sounds wonderful” Alex nods.

“Got to catch you up on the gossip around the village for the last few months, anyway haven’t we?” Aaron tells him.

They all make their way to the pub Seb being pushed in his pram the atmosphere between the oddly okay, Robert thought it would be awkward.


	2. Hangover

He’s woken up by the sound of glass smashing and Liv shouting “Shit”

He rolls over and tries to ignore the pounding in his head but it’s impossible it seems to be getting louder and louder “Language” he mutters to Liv who snorts in response.

It takes him a full minute to realise who he’d just told off and he rises from his place laying down he does it too fast and the world spins around him he feels like he’s going to throw up.

“Where am I?” He asks looking over to Liv who’s using a brush and dustpan to clear up the broken glass.

“Mars obviously” She retorts rolling her eyes at him.

He’s about to say something back but he realises he’s naked under the covers and he pulls the blanket up making sure nothings on display the fast movements make him want to be sick but he manages to keep it down.

“How come you’re here?” She asks before continuing making her smoothie.

Since when did she eat fruit? She used to think strawberry laces where one of her five a day.

“I have no idea” Robert tells her and it’s the truth, he’s not sure how he got here on Aaron’s couch naked the last thing he remembered was Victoria made up him, Aaron and Alex where being civil one thing led to another and they’d started drinking, Vic telling him to stay and drink as she took Seb home, he’d been almost drunk at that point not having drank more than three cans of beer in the last three or so months.

“You should know, shouldn’t you? I probably got too drunk and Aaron and Alex must have brought me here didn’t you see us last night?” Robert questions.

“I wasn’t here last night, I was over in Gabby’s, I’m not even supposed to be here now we’re leaving to go to Blackpool for the week with Bernice and Laurel but I forgot to take my suitcase over with me” She tells him she’s eyeing him up wearily though.

“Are you making a smoothie?” Robert asks trying to get her to stop looking at him as if she’s suddenly gonna gain x-ray vision and see him naked underneath the quilt he’s got on top of him.

“No, I’m putting fruit in my water diffuser for the car trip I’m leaving in like three minutes Laurels picking me up” She tells him rolling her eyes finishing putting the strawberries and lemons in her pink water diffuser bottle thing it’s like the one Vic bought for new year when she decided to be healthy but it’s been stuck in the cupboard since the third week of January.

“At least it’s only a two-hour drive huh? You’re gonna have a great time in Blackpool, I love pleasure beach” Robert tries to do some small talk but at the same time he feels like he’s going to be sick all over himself and talking to someone he still thinks of as a sister while he’s naked and trying to not show anything.

“I don’t think I’m gonna have enough money for Blackpool Pleasure Beach neither will Gabby her mum and Laurel have paid for the hotel and they’re paying for food all week and Laurel has two other kids to look after” Liv shrugs fastening the lid on her water bottle.

“Have you got your bank card?” Robert questions.

“Always in my purse” Liv nods.

“I’ll transfer you some spending money later and I’ll buy all you guys tickets for Pleasure Beach and I’ll email you the E-tickets your hotel should be able to print them off for you but you can use your IPhone and show them the QR code thing” Robert smiles hoping to get a smile back from her but she just glares harder and it makes his head hurt even more.

“Why would you do that?” She asks sounding suspicious.

“With all the stuff that happened with Rebecca and the crash and me getting Seb I never got to give you anything for your birthday so it’s my way of saying sorry” He shrugs his heart nearly beats out of his chest when his quilt slips he grabs it back quickly but it makes his stomach protest.

“You don’t have to do that” Liv tells him although she sounds less hostile when she tells him.

A beep from outside interrupts Robert as Liv runs to grab her suitcase which she’s put at the bottom of the stairs she’s wheeling it out when Robert shouts over the couch.

“I want to and I will as soon as I find my phone I’ll transfer the money into your account and I’ll buy the pleasure beach tickets online for you as well, Happy late Birthday Liv and have a great holiday” he tries to smile.

“Okay then thanks… by the way your boxers are on the landing floor along with your jeans and shoes… I don’t even want to know what happened so never mention it again” Liv tells him before slamming the door behind her and Robert’s face is definitely heating up.

It takes him five minutes to work up the courage to make his way off the couch using a throw over to cover his naked body, the fact that his stomach tries to escape through his stomach is what has him running from the stairs to the kitchen sink to throw up.

It’s mostly acid that comes out burning his throat as he does it and he can’t for the life of him remember how the hell they got here last night.

Once his stomach had stopped trying to literally escape from his mouth and he’d downed three glasses of water he feels okay enough to move away from the sink after cleaning up his mess first of course.

“Shit” he hisses as he turns around stepping on a piece of glass.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit” Robert hisses hopping back over to the couch not enjoying what the hopping is doing to his stomach.

“Damn it Liv” He complains as he pulls out he glass his stomach rolling as he pulls out the glass realising how big the piece of glass actually was the blood doesn’t stop pouring once he takes out the glass which is about the size of his ring finger it makes his stomach roll and he wants to throw up again as he pulls out the last of the glass.

“Fuck my life” Robert mutters as he looks at the open wound on his foot, he’s gonna need stitches the bleeding isn’t stopping and the wound’s way too big to close without help.

He hobbles over to the kitchen grabbing a tea towel and using it as a make shift bandage tying it tight to stop the bleeding or slow it down a little bit.

He hobbles up the stairs using the throw to keep himself covered until he finds his clothes, they’re exactly where Liv told him they were his boxers on the floor along with is that Aaron’s hoodie?

He quickly throws his boxers on his jeans soon following he looks through the other clothes on the landing floor but he doesn’t find his shirt or socks anywhere, Alex’s shirt that he was wearing yesterday was on top of Robert’s jeans but no sign of his own Shirt.

He follows the other clothes Aaron’s jeans and Alex’s jeans as well they lead into Aaron’s bedroom and Robert’s heart beats out of his chest as he pushes the slightly ajar door open.

What the hell happened last night?

He sees his Shirt and shoes on the floor just inside the door so he creeps in and grabs them.

Aaron and Alex are cuddled up in bed the covers have been kicked away and they’re both naked as well, Doctor Alex is surprisingly in shape, the curtains weren’t drawn so the sun which is shining brightly for once allowing him to see them both in the bed.

He turns and goes to leave but looking at the naked men in front of them distracted him momentarily he puts his cut foot down on the floor lets out a hiss of pain and his leg sort of collapses away from him sending him flying into the night stand.

“Ow” Robert hisses rubbing his chest from where he whacked it against the draws.

“Robert?” Aaron asks sitting up blinking tiredly before he looks past Robert and sees the floor “Why’s their blood all over the floor?” Aaron asks yawning scratching his head sleepily.

Alex flies up in the other side of the bed holding his head letting out a small “ow” before looking to Aaron then to Robert “Blood?” Alex asks.

“It’s nothing Liv smashed a glass and I stood on a big bit I’ll pay for the tea towel” Robert tells them lifting his foot up showing them the bloodied tea towel wrapped around his unsocked foot, he realises he’s still not put his shirt on and he’s showing off his scar from when he was shot he hates people seeing that scar.

He puts his shirt on steadily ignoring Alex getting out of bed and walking towards him naked bending down in front of Robert and taking off the tea towel before instructing him to lift his foot up.

“You’re a little naked you know” Robert tells Alex looking away catching Aaron’s eyes who looks as uncomfortable as he feels.

“As if you didn’t see enough last night” Alex says out loud a smirk on his face as he man handles Robert to sit down on the bed next to Aaron as if the doctor hadn’t just dropped a massive bombshell on him.

“Your gonna need stitches” Alex says snapping him out of trying to remember what the hell happened last night.

“I’ll get a taxi to the hospital” Robert tells him standing up going to grab the tea towel to wrap around it.

“I’ve got my bag in my car I’ll do it here for you” Alex waves him off grabbing Aaron’s dressing gown from the back of the door before making his way out of the room.

“What the hell happened last night?” Robert hisses looking to Aaron who’s laid back down on the bed.

“Stop shouting” Aaron hisses holding his head.

“Aaron why did I wake up naked on your sofa?” Robert asks again his tone frantic.

“We had sex!” Aaron hisses out putting his pillow back over his face.

“How the hell did that happen?” He hisses again aware he’s sounding hysterical.

“What do you remember?” Aaron asks moving his pillow away to look at Robert.

“I remember getting drunk in the Woolpack” Robert tells him but his memory stops their.

“After we spent £100 on booze in the woolly you talked me and Alex into going into town, we spent another £200 got kicked out of a club at 4am then got a taxi back here ended up playing some sort of drinking game called Picolo that Alex made us play one thing led to another the game made you and Alex kiss then me and you and before I knew it we all ended up back up here” Aaron tells him.

“Crap I’m sorry Aaron” he tells him his head in his hands he sees his foot hanging off the bed it’s still dripping blood a little pool has formed on the floor.

“Why it was something we all did, was fun actually” Aaron smirks cheeks reddening as he looks at Robert then quickly looks away.

“I can’t believe I kissed you again and I can’t even remember it” Robert tells him how is it possible that the one thing he’s been wanting more than anything for months has happened and he can’t even remember it “How the hell did I forget my first threesome?” Robert questions confused Aaron just lets out a snort of laughter.

“We videoed it If you wanna see?” Alex says coming into the room one of those old-fashioned doctors bags in his hands.

“What?” Robert asks eyes widening looking between them.

“Relax I’m kidding trying to lighten the mood” Alex smirks and Robert hasn’t noticed before that the man seems so open and his smile seems to make the room a bit brighter.

The smile is gone quickly as Alex looks down at the floor and spots the puddle of blood coming from Robert’s foot.

“Crap, I think I need to close this up it looks deep and judging from the blood trail leading from the kitchen you’ve lost a bit of blood” Alex smiles sitting on the floor and opening his bag.

“I don’t carry any drugs with me so I can’t give you any pain killers or anaesthetic so the best I can do is numbing gel is that okay?” Alex questions looking up it strikes him how amazing the other man’s eyes are “Robert?” Alex questions.

“What? Oh yeah sure” he nods looking away he catches Aaron’s eye and his ex-husband is looking between Alex and Robert his eyebrows raised and his lips quirked in a smile as if he’s just found the answer the world.

Robert, well Robert just needs his foot to be stitched so he can get the fuck out of his ex-husbands house especially after what he’s just heard he honestly can’t deal with that right now.


	3. Freaking Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you guys may have seen from the tags and the story name change as well as the story description i've decided to change the direction of this story from a poly relationship with Alex, Aaron and Robert to a Robron finding their way back to each other fic.
> 
> I realised I hated Alex halfway through writing sorry if people are disappointed or don't want to read anymore.

Robert was, well Robert was freaking out!

His foot was killing him but at the same time, he forced himself into his clothes, hopping on the foot that's been cut hurts but his head was hurting even more.

He's started remembering bits from last night, but they were only fragments of the night, he can remember Alex giggling, Aaron's deep moaning as him and Alex both worked to take Aaron apart.

The main thing he can remember is the sense of being at ease, drunk but happy, feeling happy to have Aaron in his arms.

Aaron and Alex had stayed awake after Alex had made sure Robert's foot had been properly cleaned and taken care of Alex had left for a shower and Aaron had dressed in sweats and a loose-fitting hoodie, Robert's eyes zeroed in on the hoodie and recognised it as the hoodie Aaron had bought him a few years back he'd though he'd lost it.

"Your foot okay?" Aaron asks he's sitting cross legged on the bed trying to look anywhere but at Robert's face.

"Okay killing me but my head hurts worse to be honest" Robert shrugs he puts his shoes on and they hurt like a mother fucker pressing on the tender flesh, but he grits his teeth and bares it.

"So, you do remember last night?" Aaron asks, and Robert is sure a smirk flashes on his face for a second.

"I'm starting to yeah" Robert nods because he is he can remember how this all started a drinking game, then a dare then more dares then they had sex, he's remembering more and more with every passing second.

"You don't have to worry Robert it was just a drunken mistake you don't need to look so worried" Aaron tells him looking up and smirking at him.

"Mistake? Look worried? Aaron I keep remembering having a drunken one night stand with my husband and his new fella on a constant loop in my brain, I'd finally thought I'd gotten over you finally thought I could let you go but all's I can see is you and me and it hurts that I can't just lean over and kiss you, you're right this was a mistake one that can't happen again" Robert tells him letting it out in a short hiss so Alex doesn't hear him, although the water is still running in the shower so he probably wouldn't anyway.

"Rob…" 

"I've got to go" he tells Aaron the younger man stands up and grabs his arm stopping his escape.

"You don't need to worry about it" Aaron tells him "We can just forget it happened, we were all drunk" Aaron tells him.

Robert turns around so fast to meet Aaron's gaze that Aaron's hand is ripped off his arm, Robert leans forward his own hands coming up to engulf Aaron's face as he holds him in place leaning forward to kiss him deeply.

Aaron reciprocates for a second then pulls away a warning on his face.

"Forget? How the hell am I supposed to forget when all's I can think about is going in the bathroom and telling Alex to get the hell out of my husband's house? How the hell do you expect me to forget, I had been forgetting Aaron, I'd been trying to let you on but now I don't want to so the best thing for us to do is stay away from each other before I try and kiss you again, I don't want to ruin your life" Robert tells him practically sprinting out the door ignoring his sore foot as Aaron was stood frozen by his bed.

He runs down the stupid spiral staircase and is out the door before Aaron manages to see the tears in his eyes.

How the hell could he be so stupid? He'd been moving on or trying too, trying to give Aaron the space he needed and now he's back where he was a few months ago the only thing going through his mind is Aaron.

Aaron, Aaron, Aaron, Aaron.

Always Aaron!

He rushes over to Vic's his stomach rolling as he fishes out his keys fiddling with the door.

"What time do you call this you dirty stop out?" Vic asks walking into the hallway she must have heard the jingling of the keys in the door, the sounds of twinkle, twinkle little star being played in the living room indicates the baby is in the mosses basket.

"Move" He warns pushing past her to rush into the kitchen, leaving the front door open and his keys in the door as he throws himself at the sink just in time to throw up.

Hangover and god working in perfect unison to tell him exactly how screwed he is and exactly how badly he's screwed up this whole friend's thing he was supposed to have with Aaron now.

"I've not had a hangover like that in a long time" Vic practically cackles the volume like a gong to Robert's already sore head.

"Ow" Robert moans running the tap to get rid of the sick or well stomach acid really from the sink using washing up liquid and bleach to clean it the smell of the bleach almost making him throw up again, but he's got nothing in his system.

"Here" Vic offers holding out a bottle of water from the fridge and a packet of paracetamol, which he takes and greedily downs with two tablets.

She catches his eyes when he puts the cap back on the bottle and she tell him "You look rough" with a smirk on his face.

He chokes on a sob as his eyes fill with tears his vision blurring with the water.

"Hey, calm down I'm only joking" She tells him rushing forward standing on her tiptoes to grab him by the neck and pulls him down so his head is resting on her shoulder as she rubs on his back.

"I've screwed up again Vic" He tells her when the lump in his throat finally small enough to talk through.

"Did you commit a crime? Break the law?" Vic asks still rubbing his back.

"No" He tells her he does something that's half sob and half snort at the comment.

"Well it's going to be fine then, you can deal with it" She consoles him even though he can't stop crying she stands there letting him cry on his shoulder as he thinks about his husband and how he's managed to fuck up the friendship.

He doesn't know how he's supposed to see Aaron not being anything to him at least when he was a friend they were something to each other he could talk to the other man stop him from going mad.

 

Now he's ruined it and he's got nothing.

All for a drunken mistake one that he didn't just share with the love of his life but with Alex as well of all people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always let me know what you think, I need to know people are here haha


	4. Scrap Yard

It takes two days for him to get over the hangover of course he thought hangovers only lasted a day but thanks to google and a study from the Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library over in America he got the answer to his googled question ‘How long can a hangover last?’ and the answer was 72 hours.

He seriously pity’s the fucker who gets a hangover for 72 hours his lasted 48 and he thinks he preferred getting shot at least then he was in a coma and he didn’t have a screaming baby to look after whilst he was in that state.

He was finally back to normal the night that should not be remembered was playing heavily in his mind and wouldn’t go away.

He remembered everything from that night explaining everything to Vic made the memories rush back and it was dizzying, the one thing he regrets more and more was knowing he was whispering how much he loved Aaron into the younger man’s ears during the sex and after, all, Alex hadn’t heard during he was a little busy below both of their waists to hear Robert but Robert remembered, he remembers everything and how he wishes he didn’t.

He hears Aaron’s moans when he’s alone trying to get to sleep and he can see him naked and spread out below him whenever he closes his eyes.

Vic rings him again he rolls his eyes and makes a grab for the phone he swipes the answer button being careful of the way he’s driving the motor way can be a bitch sometimes but he’s nearly home from a meeting in Liverpool it had taken him longer than he expected, like everything in Robert’s life his stupid phone fails him and dies just as he’s about to put it on speaker phone, the goodbye makes him want to throw the thing.

Of course, he forgot to pack the charging cable because he can’t ever do anything right! He is seriously going to kill Nicola and Jimmy for forcing the business manager he hired to quit suddenly something about being over bearing and he didn’t need to put up with them he was going it as a favour for Robert, there was a bunch of choice swear words about Nicola especially and he made sure to tell Robert repeatedly that he went to Oxford about ten times.

So, he was stuck taking the meeting, bright side he’d landed the client even after he only had a day to prep for the meeting landing Home James a £4.3 million international haulage deal in the process, a lot of it was going to be spent on new staff because the amount of work they have on now can’t be done by just Jimmy and the other drivers they need a lot more and more trucks, maybe new premises too.

He may have hyperventilated in the car park when all the contracts were signed he had no idea how much this contract was for and although he’s done some deals in his life this money was serious for the little haulage firm.

He promised Victoria that he’d go straight home to grab Seb after he’d finished but as he enters Emmerdale it’s 6:30 so she will be fine for a few more minutes as he puts the files away, then again maybe he should go and verbally attack Nicola and Jimmy for causing him so much stress then tell them the good news.

He parks in the scrapyard lot and Aaron’s car is there he lets out a huff he’d managed to avoid Aaron since the other day, he didn’t know if it was going to be awkward or not but he gets out the car anyway grabbing the files his heart beating stupidly fast.

“Ahhhhhh, pop, pop, pop, pop, poo” is the sound that greets him as he enters the room the sound of a squeal of delight fills the room and Robert frowns when he takes in the scene.

“Is that Seb?” He asks doesn’t know why he asks he knows the answer knows his own son, his chest is sort of aching at the sight of Aaron with his son, aching at what could have been, but his head is more concerned with asking why the hell has Aaron got his son right now? He will have to revisit the cooing his heart is currently doing seeing Aaron holding his son at a later date.

“Yep, isn’t he a smart cookie hey?” Aaron asks Seb pretending to eat the baby’s toes which results in another squeal of laughter that would melt even the coldest of hearts.

Aaron finally looks up at him and says “I was just about to have my lunch with Vic when Diane called and needed to be taken to hospital “ 

“Is she alright?” Robert asks instantly concerned moving into the cabin fully and shutting the door behind him not realising the sight of Aaron and Seb had frozen him on the spot.

“Oh, something about a broken tooth, and a massive abscess and since she couldn’t get an appointment for a dentist they advised her to go to dental unit in the hospital, Vic had to take her, and I wasn’t going to let her take this one into a germ-infested place like that was I? No, I wasn’t otherwise, daddy would have had to give you a bath in that alcohol hand gel to make sure you didn’t get sick and you wouldn’t have like that” Aaron tells him before it’s like he completely forgets about him being in the room and just talks to Seb.

“I’m sorry” is the first thing Robert can think to say.

“What for?” Aaron asks frowning making eye contact.

“Dragging you into babysitting duty, if you’ve had him since lunch time you much of had him what six or so hours?” Robert asks coming over to stand behind Aaron, Seb could hear his voice and when he saw his face his face lit up with the brightest of smiles he hid behind his teddy then popped out and Robert without missing a beat jumped down to say “Peek-a-boo” the resulting laughter put a massive smile on his and Aaron’s face.

“No worries, it was in the best interest for everyone that he didn’t go to the hospital like I said it’s a germ factory and although he’s not cried once for me he’d have probably got fed up in that place and you know you’d get one idiot that would start moaning at Vic if he started to fuss there is always one person that moans if a baby cries in a public place like they have the right to shut everyone else up” 

“At least let me pay you then you’ve probably missed work minding him” Robert offers.

“Actually, I just finished then, it was paperwork day and he’s been sat in his car seat giggling to himself most of the day, I rewarded myself every time I completed a page we had a couple of minutes of peek-a-boo, didn’t we?” He asks again talking to Robert then going back to the baby talk.

Robert looks at him and the smile is automatic he’s always loved Aaron around kids his usual silent nature flied out the window the man would make a fool out of himself to entertain a child and has done for Leo plenty of times.

“Still let me give you some money” Robert offers again persistent this time.

“Tell you what come buy my dinner in the pub and a few pints and we will call it even, join me if you want, I was just about to give this one his horrible smelling baby food and do myself a pot noodle, but you can always feed him in the pub two birds and all that” 

“Have you not got to go meet Alex?” Robert asks, he sees when Aaron’s eyes dart everywhere but to Robert.

“Erm no actually won’t have to meet him ever again actually” Aaron tells him nervously his hands playing with Seb’s own hand to distract him.

“Oh, alright” Robert says stupidly “I just need to file these files and check the online accounts, oh and give Jimmy and Nicola an email and I’ll be ready to go” Robert says trying to change the subject to stop him from jumping for joy that Aaron and Doctor Alex are no more that’s not appropriate.

“Well how about I take this one in my car that way I can drop my car at home and I’ll probably still beat you to the pub so I can order for us if ya want?” 

“Erm yeah sure if you don’t mind” Robert nods.

“The usual?” Aaron asks.

It takes Robert a stupidly long time to realise that Aaron’s asking if he wants the usual food order that they used to get at the woolpack he only nods back the lump in his throat too much.

Aaron leaves talking to Seb all the way to the car, Robert can still hear him laughing with Seb until Aaron gets in the car then his talking is over with the snap of a car door.

The memory of Aaron and Seb will probably stay with him forever as a reminder of what he could have had and what he will never have again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts? Opinions on where I should take this?


End file.
